Ballast stripper



S p 1948- D. M PRAYTOR ETAL 2,449}714,

BALLAST STRIPPER Filed March 29, 1946 v 2 sheets-sheet 1 as INVENTORJ D /7/7/3' Play f or BY Knox Kc rS mw Q m %TTORNE7 Sept 21, 1948. D. M. PRAYTOR ETAL BALLAST STRIPPER '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1946 m: NE

Patented Sept. 21, 1948 BALLAST STRIPPER Dennis M. Praytor and Knox Kershaw, Birmingham, Ala.

Application March 29, 1946, Serial No. 658,123

driven supporting wheels adapted to run alongside the track and which shall include means to adjust the mechanism of the apparatus to various levels of road bed. l

A further objectof our invention is to provide a ballast stripping machine embodying. a reciprocablemotor driven augur and a housing for the motor and the augur which shall be adapted to enter the space between adjacent cross ties.

A still further object of our invention is to provide a ballast stripping apparatus which shall include a main frame and pneumatic tired supporting wheels therefor together with means. for driving the supporting wheels. l

1 In our previously filed application, Serial No. 629,180, filed November 16, 1945, we have shown, described and claimed a ballast stripping machine embodying a reciprocable motor driven augur which enters the spaces between adjacent cross ties to remove the ballast therefrom. This machine has proven eminently satisfactory .in service, but being adapted to run solely on the rails of a railroad track, its use is limited insections where heavy traffic prevails due to the necessityof frequently taking siding for passing trains. The present apparatus differs from that of our prior application in that it is self-propelled alongside the track from which ballast is being stripped and such parts as overhang the track may be quickly moved out of the way for passing trains. Apparatus embodying features of our invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, in which 1 Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly diagrammatic and partly in section, taken along the line I-I of -.2; 1

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken along the line III-III of Fig. 1 showing means for securing the truck frame to the end of the transverse frame; and l Fig. 4 is a detail View showing the meansfor raising and lowering the main frame with respect to the main supporting wheels.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of ourinvention, we show a frag- 7 Claims. (01. 37 104) 2 1 ment of a railroad track embodying a rail Ill and cross ties II from between which our machineis adapted to remove the ballast. Ourimproved apparatus embodies a main frame made up of a pair of channels l2 and I3 joined together at the ends by cross members M and 3,. Joined to the main frame on the under side thereof is a transverse frame composed of channel members H and I'B. As will be seen from Fig. 1 of the drawing, the channel members [2 and [3 of theinain frame have their flanges extending outwardly of the frame while the channel members I1 and I8 composing. the transverse frame have their flanged portions extending inwardly of. the frame. The channel members I! and 18 at their outer ends overhang the ends of the. cross ties H and are joined together at their ends by meansoof cross members l9 and 20. K

There is also provided a truck frame comprising a pair of relatively light channel membersil and 22 with their flanges extending outwardly and joinedtogether at the ends by means of cross members 23 and 24. Journalled between the longitudinal members 2| and 22 of the truck frame, near the ends thereof, are a pair of wheels 26 and 21, the wheels each having flanges on both sides thereof which are adapted to engage the sides of the rail I I! as shown in Fig. 1. The truck frame is pivotally connected to the main frame member l2 by means of bars 28 and 29 whichare secured near oneend to the truck frame member 22 and hingedly connected to the mainframe member l2 by means of bolts 3| and 32. Sin ilarly, near the other end of the truck frame, bars 33 and 34 are secured to. the truck frame member 22 and are hingedly connected to the main frame member. l2 by means of bolts. 36 and 31. The truck frame just described is detachably connected to the transverse frame, as shown in; Fig. 3 of the drawing, by means of I-bolts 38 pivotally mounted,.one in each of the transverse frame members I! and I8, and extending upwardly through a slot 39 in the transverse frame meme ber and through slots 4! and 42 :in the truck .frame member 22. A wing nut 43 on the upper end of the I-bolt provides meanswhereby the transverse frame may be quickly connected to, and detached from, the truck framewWben the truck frame is disconnectedffrom thetransverse frame, it may be raised up out of the: way by any suitable means, such as the hand operated winch and cable. When the truck frame is thus raised out of the way, thetransverseframe members l1 and I8 rest on the adjacent ends of the cross ties H; in the clear of passing trains- I3 and extending upwardly therefrom at thesid'es of the wheel 41 are a pair of channel members 59 and 8| joined together at the top by means of a cross member 82. Similarly, channel members 63 and 64 are joined to the mainframe members I2 and I3 and extend upwardly therefrom at the sides of the wheel 48, said members v being joined together at their upper ends by a cross memberlili. Mounted on the cross member 62'is a-hydraulic cylinder 6"! and mounted 'onthe cross member fit-is a hydraulic cylinder 68. The

hydraulic cylinders 61 and 68 are joined together at their upper ends by means of a connecting beam 69. Thelowerend of the hydraulic cylinders! is joined also to the main frame members "I2 and I3 by means of diagonal braces 58' and "II, while the cylinder 88 is joined to the main frame members by means of diagonal braces 12 and I3. The piston rod "I4 of the hydraulic cylinder 61 is connected at its lower end to a cross head 16 which is slidably mounted in the channel guides 59 and 6|. Extending downwardly from the cross head 16 are lateral members I! and I8. The'member I! is joined by a pair of short links 19 to a lug M on the end of the link 49, and the member I8 is joined by a pair of short links 82 to'a lug 83 on the outer end of the link5I. The piston rod 84 of the hydraulic cylinder 68 is connected at its lower end to a cross head 88 from which members 81 and 88 extend downwardly in the channel guides 63 and 84, and are connected at their lower ends to the links 54 and 58 in a manner already described for the members 11 and I8 and whichdoes not require repetition. It will be seen, with the arrangement just described, that when the hydraulic cylinders '81 and 68 are operated to raise and lower the cross heads 16 and 88, the main frame members *I2 and I3 are raised and lowered accordingly with respect to the main supporting wheels 41 and =48.

At '81 we show a prime mover, for example, -'a

gasoline motor, which drives an electric generator reservoir 93 through conduits 96, 91, 98 =and"99 in a manner well understood in the art. The apparatus is propelled along the track by means'of a reversible motor I0I mounted between the longitudinal'frame members I2 and I3 and driving the main supporting wheel 41 through sprockets I02 andI03 and sprocket chain 104. The motor IN is controlled by means of-a reversing switch I06 which is within easy'reach of the operator of the'ma'chine.

The "augur forstripping'the ballast is shown'a't I01 and is provided with a shaft I08 carried in suitable bearings I09 and III, mounted in the lower portion of a housing II2. It will be seen from Fig. 2 of the drawing that that portion of the housing H2 in which the bearings I08 and I09 are mounted is narrow enough to enter freely between the adjacent ends of the cross ties II. The housing H2 is provided with supporting wheels H3, H4, H5 and H6 which ride on the lower inturned flanges of the channel members H and I8 and are of such diameter, as may be seen in Fig. 2, as to engage the upper flanges of said channels should the housing I I2 tend to rise when the augur meets an obstruction. A cover plate II! on the housing II2 prevents dirt or grit from entering the housing from above. The augur I01 is-driven by means of a motor II8, mounted in the housing IIZ. Mounted on the end of the shaft I08 is a pulley I I9 and mounted on the end of the motor shaft IIB is a pulley I2I which drives the "pulley H8 and shaft "I08 through a V belt 122. The motor H8 is controlled by means of-a switch I23, provision being made, as indicated diagrammatically by the loops I24 and I26, to allow for reciprocation of "the housing IIZ with the motor II8.

The housing I I2, and with it the'augur I This reciprocated by means of a reversible motor 121, controlled by a reversing switch I28. The motor I21 drives a small winch I29 around which is wound a cable I3I. The ends of the cable "I=3'I are connected at I32 to the housing I'I 2-and are trained over sheaves I33 and 134 at one endo'f the transverse frame and over sheaves "I36 and. I3! at the opposite end'of-the transverse-frame. From the foregoing, the operation of our'im proved apparatus will be readily understood. The machine is placed alongside the track from which the ballast'is to be stripped, with the outer end of the transverse frame members II and-I8 overhanging the adjacent ends of the cross ties H. The truck wheels 26 and 2! are placed on the rail I0 and the transverse frame connected to the truck frame by means of the eye bolts 38 and nuts 43. The augur I01 is leveled up with respect to the track by means of the hydr-auliccylinders 6'1 and 68 which are operated to raise and lower the main frame as may be necessary. The augur I01 is then entered between a pair of crss ties, and is rotated and reciprocated to remove the ballast from between the ties, the flanged wheels 26 and'2l resisting the thrust of the augur. The apparatus is moved by means of the driving motor IOI so that the augur may be-entered between the next adjacent cross ties, and so on. In event it becomes necessary to get'the apparatus out of the way of passing trains, it-is onlyre quired that the transverse frame members "I1 and I8 be detached from the truck framexmember 22 by'loosening the nuts '43 on theeye'bolts 38 and then swinging the truck frame up outdf the way by means of the winch'44, allowing the transverse frame members Hand I8 to --rest on the ends of the ties. The machine is thenentirely in the clear of passing trains. I From the foregoing it will'be apparent "that we have devised an improvedmachin'e forxremoving ballast from between the .cross'tie's of a railroad "track which is operableualongside the track, is easily placed in the clear :of passing trains; which is self-propelled, and which is adaptable for operation at various levels-of road bed. While we have shown our inventioniinb-utone form, it will be obvious 'to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In apparatus for stripping ballast from between the cross ties in a railroad track, a main frame extending alongside the track, supporting wheels for the main frame at least one of which is motor driven, transverse frame members joined to the main frame and overhanging the ends of the cross ties, and a reciprocable motor driven augur carried by the transverse frame and adapted to enter between the cross ties.

2. In apparatus for stripping ballast from between the cross ties in a railroad track, a main frame extending alongside the track, supporting wheels for the main frame at least one of which is motor driven, transverse frame members joined to the main frame and overhanging the ends of the cross ties, a reciprocable motor driven augur carried by the transverse frame and adapted to enter between the cross ties, a pair of flanged supporting wheels for the overhanging end of the transverse frame members, a frame for the flanged wheels pivotally connected to the main frame, means for detachably connecting the transverse frame members to the frame for the flanged wheels, and means to raise .the flanged wheels and frame therefor off the rail and out of the way.

3. In apparatus for stripping ballast from. between the cross ties in a railroad track, a main frame extending alongside the track, supporting wheels for the main frame at least one of which is motor driven, vertically movable members in which the supporting wheels are journalled, transverse frame members joined to the main frame and overhanging the adjacent ends of the cross ties, a reciprocable motor driven augur carried by the transverse frame and adapted to reciprocate between the cross ties, a pair of flanged supporting wheels for the overhanging end of the transverse frame members, a frame for the flanged wheels pivotally connected to the main frame, means for detachably connecting the transverse frame members to the frame for the flanged wheels, means to raise the flanged wheels and frame therefor off the rail and out of the way, and means to raise and lower the main frame with respect to its supporting wheels.

4 In apparatus for stripping ballast from between the cross ties in a railroad track, a main frame comprising spaced parallel members extending alongside the track, transverse frame members rigidly joined at one end to the main frame and overhanging the adjacent ends of the cross ties, a reciprocable motor driven ballast removing augur carried by the transverse frame and including a housing having a narrow portion adapted to enter between adjacent cross ties, supporting wheels for the main frame at least one of which is motor driven, links pivotally connected to the transverse frame in which the supporting wheels are journalled, means to raise and lower the main frame with respect to its supporting wheels, flanged wheels for supporting the overhanging end of the transverse frame and disposed to engage and ride on the adjacent rail,

a frame for the flanged wheels pivoted to the main frame, and means for detachably securing the frame for the flanged wheels to the transverse frame.

5. Apparatus as deflned in claim 4 in which the means to raise and lower the main frame with respect to its supporting wheels comprises a pair of hydraulic cylinders having pistons operatlvely connected to the ends of the links in which the wheels are journalled.

6. Apparatus such as defined in claim 4 in combination with an electric motor mounted in the housing for driving the augur, tracks formed by the transverse frame members, wheels on the housing disposed to travel on the tracks, an augur shaft extending into a relatively narrow portion of the housing beneath the motor, and a driving connection between the motor and the augur shaft.

7. Apparatus such as defined in claim 4 in combination with a winch for swinging the frame carrying the flanged wheels up out of the way when it is disconnected from the transverse frame members.

DENNIS M. PRAYTOR. KNOX KEBSHAW. 

